I have reviewed my postings from yesterday.
Matthew Wignall, born late 1885, baptised 17 December 1885 St Matthew’s, Preston. Father = Matthew (a Carter); Mother = Margaret. Living at Geoffrey Street, Preston.
A search of military records reveals that there are two service records for Matthew (junior).
The first attestation record shows Matthew joining the 3rd Battalion of the King’s Own, Royal Lancaster Regiment* on the 7 May 1902. He was given the service number of 9273. He gives his residence as 19 Heatley Street, Preston and his next of kin as Matthew and Margaret Wignall of the same address. He declares his occupation as that of a labourer and his age as 18 years. His record shows that he was just over 5 feet 2 inches tall weighing 99lbs with blue eyes; dark brown hair and a fresh complexion. His religion was Church of England. Page 3 of his attestation records that he was still present in 1903.
*a militia force for home service, only embodied into the regular Army at times of war.
The second attestation record shows Matthew joining the 3rd Battalion of the East Lancashire Regiment on the 27 February 1903 (transcriptions wrongly show the date as 1908). He was given the service number of 2520. He gives his residence as Brow(n) Square, Preston and his next of kin as Matthew and Margaret Wignall of the same address. He declares his occupation as that of a labourer and his age of 18 years 3 months. His record shows that he was 5 feet 4 inches tall weighing 109lbs with blue eyes; dark brown hair and a fresh complexion. His religion was Church of England.
Both attestation records imply that Matthew wasn’t honest about his age. When he joined the King’s Own Royal Lancaster regiment his true age would have being about 16 years 4 months and not 18 years as he declared. When he joined the East Lancashire Regiment his true age would have been about 17 years 3 months and not the 18 years 3 months he declared. He also wasn’t honest on his second attestation when he declared that he had never been in the Militia or Army before. His second attestation record shows that he joined the Shropshire Light Infantry (SLI) on the 6 February 1904 and was given a new service number of 7652.
The 1911 Census for military overseas records a Mark Wignall serving in India with the 2ndBattalion S.L.I. This man’s age and place of birth matches Matthew, it is likely that the two are the same. (a search of civil birth registration records have failed to find a birth registered in the UK for a Mark Wignall born circa 1885. Likewise, a search of military records has failed to find a Mark Wignall). The UK Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects records that ‘our’ Matthew was in the 1st Battalion of the S.L.I. My thoughts are that he was transferred at some stage between the Battalions, the 1st battalion arrived in France in September 1914 whereas the 2nd didn’t arrive until December 1914. Matthew was killed in action on the 14 November 1914. He was awarded the 1914 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
I apologise for discounting Margaret Wignall marrying a Morrison, I agree that she married James Henry in 1908.
A search of Army pension records finds that there is an entry for a dependant’s pension made in 1920 by a Margaret Walmsley. A search of records has failed to find a link between her and Matthew.
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Topic: 1911 census (Read 1845 times)